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Authors: Gyles Brandreth
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1944–95, MP for the City of Chester 1974–92.
74 Lyndon Harrison, Labour MEP for Cheshire West & Wirral 1989–99.
75 In 1969 GB, while still at Oxford, had presented a television programme for ITV called
Child of the Sixties
in which he looked back on the ’60s and interviewed a range of guests, including the then shadow Chancellor Iain Macleod (1913–70). After the programme, GB asked his hero for advice about a political career and Macleod replied: ‘Go away. Get yourself a wife, she’ll knock some sense into you. Get some children, they’ll knock the stuffing out of you. And do something – build something, make something, achieve something. Then come back and talk to me.’
76 He was Margaret Thatcher’s PPS 1990–92.
77 Peter Bowles, actor, and his wife Sue, friends of GB and neighbours in Barnes.
78 GB’s elder daughter was fourteen and a pupil at St Paul’s Girls’ School.
79 Subsequently MP for Hastings & Rye 1992–7, and Beckenham 1997–2010, and, in 1996, the first woman to join the Conservative Whips’ Office.
80 In fact, 1940–56
81 Until the general election, GB continued to work as a radio and TV presenter and to make after-dinner speeches.
82 Gwyn Gough, much-valued, much-loved Chester Conservative Association secretary.
83 Jenny Noll, much-valued, much-loved personal assistant to GB.
84 MP for Wirral 1976–83, Wirral West 1983–97; later Baron Hunt of Wirral.
85 Alastair Goodlad, MP for Northwich 1974–83, Eddisbury 1983–99; later Baron Goodlad of Lincoln KCMG.
86 MP for Tatton 1983–97.
87 A Labour stronghold, a district of Chester dominated by a large council estate.
88 The
Challenge Anneka
television programme, starring Anneka Rice, had agreed to build a playground on behalf of NPFA if Prince Philip issued the challenge.
89 Tim Heald, journalist and writer, and his then wife, friends of GB.
90 MP for Bath 1979–92, chairman of the Conservative Party and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1990–92. Later Baron Patten of Barnes, Chancellor of Oxford University and chairman of the BBC Trust.
91 Deputy chairman of the City of Chester Conservative Association.
92 Michael Mansfield QC.
93 MP for Warwickshire North 1983–92, Financial Secretary to the Treasury 1990–92. MP for Horsham from 1997.
94 MP for Richmond, Yorkshire, since 1989.
95 MP for Harlow 1983–97.
96 Christopher Hudson, journalist and writer, and his wife, Kirsty McLeod, writer, friends of GB.
97 Maxwell’s two oldest children, contemporaries of GB at university.
98 GB and his wife’s editorial services business, Complete Editions, had created a range of books and magazines for two Maxwell companies.
99 Maxwell’s chief of staff, 1986–9; later BBC economics editor and non-executive director of the Bank of England.
100 1942–2006; Labour MP for Newham North West 1983–2005.
CHAPTER IV
1993
FRIDAY 1 JANUARY 1993
A thousand beacons blazed across the European Community at midnight to usher in the single market: one Europe of 340 million people. Mr Major (somewhat startlingly) sees 1993 as ‘the year of charity and helping your neighbour’. This makes me a little ashamed to confess that I see 1993 as the year of looking after Number One!
What are my hopes/ambitions/resolutions for the year? Mundane.
1. I need to get the office organised. Jenny is a joy, always has been. She is my ideal PA – she does everything I ask of her and asks absolutely nothing of me. I couldn’t tell you a thing about her private life, the date of her birthday, the colour of her eyes. All I know is that she’s never late, she’s never sick, she’s brilliant on the telephone and she hoovers up the work. I have the perfect PA; what I now need is a good constituency secretary. I’m glad Angela moved on. I think I was seduced by the fact she was American and had once worked for Bob Dole! Joy looks the part: middle-aged, mousey, spinster-like and, at least this time, I got Michèle and Jenny to meet her
74 Lyndon Harrison, Labour MEP for Cheshire West & Wirral 1989–99.
75 In 1969 GB, while still at Oxford, had presented a television programme for ITV called
Child of the Sixties
in which he looked back on the ’60s and interviewed a range of guests, including the then shadow Chancellor Iain Macleod (1913–70). After the programme, GB asked his hero for advice about a political career and Macleod replied: ‘Go away. Get yourself a wife, she’ll knock some sense into you. Get some children, they’ll knock the stuffing out of you. And do something – build something, make something, achieve something. Then come back and talk to me.’
76 He was Margaret Thatcher’s PPS 1990–92.
77 Peter Bowles, actor, and his wife Sue, friends of GB and neighbours in Barnes.
78 GB’s elder daughter was fourteen and a pupil at St Paul’s Girls’ School.
79 Subsequently MP for Hastings & Rye 1992–7, and Beckenham 1997–2010, and, in 1996, the first woman to join the Conservative Whips’ Office.
80 In fact, 1940–56
81 Until the general election, GB continued to work as a radio and TV presenter and to make after-dinner speeches.
82 Gwyn Gough, much-valued, much-loved Chester Conservative Association secretary.
83 Jenny Noll, much-valued, much-loved personal assistant to GB.
84 MP for Wirral 1976–83, Wirral West 1983–97; later Baron Hunt of Wirral.
85 Alastair Goodlad, MP for Northwich 1974–83, Eddisbury 1983–99; later Baron Goodlad of Lincoln KCMG.
86 MP for Tatton 1983–97.
87 A Labour stronghold, a district of Chester dominated by a large council estate.
88 The
Challenge Anneka
television programme, starring Anneka Rice, had agreed to build a playground on behalf of NPFA if Prince Philip issued the challenge.
89 Tim Heald, journalist and writer, and his then wife, friends of GB.
90 MP for Bath 1979–92, chairman of the Conservative Party and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1990–92. Later Baron Patten of Barnes, Chancellor of Oxford University and chairman of the BBC Trust.
91 Deputy chairman of the City of Chester Conservative Association.
92 Michael Mansfield QC.
93 MP for Warwickshire North 1983–92, Financial Secretary to the Treasury 1990–92. MP for Horsham from 1997.
94 MP for Richmond, Yorkshire, since 1989.
95 MP for Harlow 1983–97.
96 Christopher Hudson, journalist and writer, and his wife, Kirsty McLeod, writer, friends of GB.
97 Maxwell’s two oldest children, contemporaries of GB at university.
98 GB and his wife’s editorial services business, Complete Editions, had created a range of books and magazines for two Maxwell companies.
99 Maxwell’s chief of staff, 1986–9; later BBC economics editor and non-executive director of the Bank of England.
100 1942–2006; Labour MP for Newham North West 1983–2005.
CHAPTER IV
1993
FRIDAY 1 JANUARY 1993
A thousand beacons blazed across the European Community at midnight to usher in the single market: one Europe of 340 million people. Mr Major (somewhat startlingly) sees 1993 as ‘the year of charity and helping your neighbour’. This makes me a little ashamed to confess that I see 1993 as the year of looking after Number One!
What are my hopes/ambitions/resolutions for the year? Mundane.
1. I need to get the office organised. Jenny is a joy, always has been. She is my ideal PA – she does everything I ask of her and asks absolutely nothing of me. I couldn’t tell you a thing about her private life, the date of her birthday, the colour of her eyes. All I know is that she’s never late, she’s never sick, she’s brilliant on the telephone and she hoovers up the work. I have the perfect PA; what I now need is a good constituency secretary. I’m glad Angela moved on. I think I was seduced by the fact she was American and had once worked for Bob Dole! Joy looks the part: middle-aged, mousey, spinster-like and, at least this time, I got Michèle and Jenny to meet her
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